Recent Skincare Empties

Currently I've been more focused at getting my skin in order so while I've not completely done a no-buy on makeup, I've have cut down considerably. I think I'm getting through quite a few bits of skincare so here are some of my recent empties:

No7 Beautiful Skin Eye Make-Up Remover
This is something I usually only get with the Boots £5 off vouchers, but I don't know if it's just me but this doesn't seem as good as I once remembered. Sure, it removes makeup well enough (an oil is still my preferred choice), but I find the bi-phase formula separates a bit too quickly, especially as you get halfway through the bottle and you get left with uneven amounts. I do prefer the newly revamped packaging as it's no longer a pump and just a screw-lid so if you need to dip in cotton-buds it's easier than before.

Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
This is a lovely thick and creamy cleanser that is dense enough to massage over the skin for a few minutes before washing away with a flannel/cloth. If feels very gentle on the skin and leaves it soft, clean and comfortable. It has a pleasant light floral scent that is lovely to wake-up to in the morning. 
I do have acne-prone skin so I usually look for a little more in helping to control this issue so while this is a very good cleanser, I don't think I would repurchase.

Pai Geranium & Thistle Combination Skin Cream
I don't think I've ever used a moisturiser up as quickly as this one as it's been so lovely to use. It has a wonderful creamy, nourishing feel to it yet it is not in any way heavy or greasy and leaves the skin feeling naturally matte and surprisingly helps to control oil and I don't find myself getting as shiny. Some moisturisers for combination skin feel very light or have more gel type textures where as this feels like a proper cream which I prefer. This is definitely up there as one of my favourites.

Ren Max Moisture Concentrate
I was recommended this ages ago while having a facial to help address dehydration so when I had a discount code from Beauty Expert, I thought I'd give it a whirl. The texture of this is a light lotion/serum feel that sinks into the skin quickly without any residue or tackiness and then I use my regular moisturiser on top. While it seems to suit my skin fine, I was rather underwhelmed as I haven't noticed a great deal from using this. I am a fan of Ren and I absolutely adore many of their other products but sadly this is not one of them.

Naturally, I have got a few new skincare items to use (the current Boots 3 for 2 coming in very handy:) so will report on those in due course.

REN Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream Review

Ren has long been one of my favourite brands for skincare, and many of their products I have repurchased quite a few times over the years. The Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream is one of them.

When I was first introduced to Ren, I was recommended the line for sensitive skin which this moisturiser is a part of as at the time my acne-prone skin was quite a mess with dehydration, inflammation and just generally quite unbalanced.

The ingredients in the Hydra-Calm cream really help to combat these issues as it contains arctic blackcurrant seed and arctic seabuckthorn berry oil which contain Omega 3 and 7 to help with the inflammation, Bisabolol to help soothe and reduce redness, and also a 'Global protection complex' with anti-oxidants to help protect against UV damage.

The texture of this is lovely, it feels creamy and smooth but without being oily or greasy and it applies very nicely leaving the skin feeling well hydrated and comfortable without any heaviness. It feels very much like a 'proper' moisturiser and pleasant to use.

When I first started using the Hydra-Calm cream, I had issues with flakiness on my forehead, and this completely got rid of it, and I've not had this problem since. It does have a slight calming effect in that it helps a little with redness too.

Ingredients:

Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Cetearyl Ethyhexanoate, Myristyl Myristate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triheptanoin, Oryzanol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Pueraria Lobata (Kudzu) Symbiozome Extract, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Cinnamomum Camphora Linalloliferum (Ho Wood) Leaf Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool, Tocopherol.

This is £27 for 50ml which I think is very reasonable for the quality, and I find that this usually lasts me around 4-5 months (I only use in the mornings), as you don't need too much and also the airtight pump dispenser allows for good control and less product wastage.

Cleanser Empties - Alpha-H & Snowberry

I am on a serious skincare no-buy at the moment, I cannot buy an item unless I have used up all the ones I have, so until I finish all my cleansers, I'm not buying another one (as I am writing this a MuLondon newsletter has arrived in my inbox to inform me of the launch of their new foaming facials cleansers, and I have to resist the urge to not put in an order, but boy do they sound lovely).

Just for reference I have combination/dehydrated/acne-prone skin with acne-scarring and am 28 (so use more preventative/fixing acne devastation skincare).

I have used up 2 cleansers so far - Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser and Snowberry Instant Deep Cleanser.

Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser

I have always been curious about Alpha-H products and bought a set from QVC a while back which this cleanser was a part of. While I haven't really been taken so much with the other products (I don't quite understand the fuss with Liquid Gold), the Balancing Cleanser is not bad.

This is a slightly runny white cream that is easily rinsed off with water. It does a good job of removing makeup and leaves the skin feeling clean but not stripped. I think this helped a tiny bit with skin clarity but unfortunately I found it slightly irritating around my eye area. Overall it is a solid cleanser but I am not likely to repurchase.

Ingredients:

Aqua, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sorbitan Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Lauryl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Methylparaben, Sodium Hydroxymethyl Glycinate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Parfum.

Snowberry Instant Deep Cleanser

This is quite an unusual looking cleanser as it's a bright orange colour with an slightly oily-serum thin cream like texture. This does allow for the product to be massaged well into the skin and it rinses off very cleanly with water so with all these elements it offers quite a unique cleansing experience. Packed full of natural oils and extracts (some more unusual then others - I didn't know a Cloudberry even existed).

It does a very thorough job of cleansing, leaving the skin clear and pores feeling less 'cloggy'. I hadn't noticed how much this was the case until I finished it up. The saying 'you don't know what you have until it's gone' rings true for this cleanser.

Having said that it's not a repurchase as it is the most expensive cleanser I've ever bought at £46 for 50ml. While it lasted much longer then I thought it would (about 3 months, mostly using in the morning as you only need 1-2 pumps for the face), it doesn't quite beat the Ren ClearCalm cleanser for me.

Ingredients:

Melia azadirachta linn (Neem) seed oil, Plukenetia volubilis (Inca Inchi) seed oil, Macadamia Ternifolia seed oil, Olive Oil Squalene, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Passiflora edulis (Passion flower) seed oil, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Candida Bombiola extract & Glucose & Methyl Rapeseed Ferment, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides & Cymbium grandiforum flower extract, Asboryl Tetraisopalmitate, Rubis chamaemorus (Cloudberry) seed oil, Echium plantagineum oil, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) flower extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Gluten extract, Polydecene & Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) extract, Coleus Forskohili (Coleus) oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis leaf extract, Lycopene extract.

Hydrodermabrasion Facial at Hydrohealing Review

I have walked past the Hydrohealing Day Spa in Notting Hill, London a few times and was curious about the Hydrodermabrasion facial they offer. Anything with the word 'hydro' or referencing water definitely gets my attention! I have never had microdermabrasion, but this is different as it's gentle and is supposed to be good for acne-prone skin like mine. I had this treatment a while back in August and being a bit slack this post has been sitting in my list since then.

The spa is located on Kensington Park Road, a short walk from Ladbroke Grove tube station. It's a clean and bright blue place and doesn't feel intimidating when you walk in. I was greeted by my therapist who gave me a form to fill out and I took a seat in the dimly lit relaxing waiting area.

I would say the treatment room itself even though clean, minimal and quite nice looking is not as lux as some other places - the bed itself is more a standard flat treatment bed and not some soft, cushy bed, but having said that it is not uncomfortable and is quite relaxing.

The facial starts off with a cleanse to remove any makeup on the skin. Ren products are used in the facial (and it is bespoke to your skin type) and on me she first cleansed with the Hydracalm cleansing gel.

Then onto to the interesting bit with the hydrodermabrasion. A saline solution is blasted onto the skin in what felt like a concentrated jet of liquid. This is supposed to help remove impurities and improve the texture of the skin, as well as being deeply moisturising and helping with fine lines and wrinkles. It feels quite strange, like an ice cold wind moving over your face. It was hot outside that day so it was quite a welcome feeling and it doesn't hurt at all, but on certain parts of the face like the temples where the skin is close to the bone you can feel the pressure a little more.

Then afterwards the face, neck and shoulders was massaged with the Omega 3 Night Repair Serum, this was done to a medium pressure and felt quite relaxing although I am not one of those people who can ever feel totally chilled with a facial and have yet to come across one that has sent me to sleep! Afterwards a mask was applied (the Clearcalm 3 one). The therapist said that my skin was rather dehydrated (don't I know it; I am terrible at boosting my hydration levels), so she applied the Max Moisture Concentrate, and then I think it was the ClearCalm 3 Night Serum as a moisturiser to finish off.

My skin did feel calm and much more softer and well hydrated then before so that it felt a little more plumper although I didn't see much difference to blemishes, but I think I would have to have a few more treatments to see a difference in this respect.

This facial is expensive at £85 for 60mins, but I filled out an online consultation form to get 20% off my first one.

REN joins the Brightening Brigade: New Radiance Range

It seems 2011 is the year for a brighter complexion as there are several brands that are coming out with ranges to boost the skin's radiance and even the texture and tone of the skin. Another one to join the fray is a firm favourite of mine, Ren, which of course I am very excited about and eager to try. 

The Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask is an existing product but is now part of a dedicated line of products that form their new Radiance range, other products include:

Micro Polish Cleanser
Radiance Perfecting Serum
AHA Resurfacing Concentrate

Their website descriptions sounds interesting, I think initially the serum is one I might consider as I am currently not using any sort of serum but there is their new Hydracalm serum as well that I rather like the sound of.

*Adding to my 'To Try' list*

Ren ClearCalm 3 Update

Finished!

It's been about 2 and a half months now since I started using Ren's ClearCalm 3 range (4 week review here), so thought I'd do an update.

Since my last review I have finished up my bottle of the Anti-Blemish Clay Cleanser, I used it every morning and most evenings so it lasted about 2 months. This has been pleasant to use and I like that it can be rinsed off clean with water rather then using a cloth (this is one thing I like in particular with Ren's cleansers).
I wasn't blown away initially with this, but after getting through my bottle of this I have come to rather like it as when washed off it helps a bit to make skin calmer and softer.

This *almost* equals one of my favourite cleansers which is Ren's Hydra-Calm one but the only thing that holds it back is the scent, while not at all unpleasant in anyway, I really love the scent of Hydra-Calm as I find it very comforting where as this doesn't grab me. To me scent is just as important as the performance, often I am drawn back to repurchasing products because not only were they effective, but I remember the smells and think how much I loved using them. I would still repurchase this at some point (I have some other cleansers on my 'to try' list though:).

The Anti-Blemish Day Fluid I continued to use up until 3 weeks ago when I wanted to see how I would fare without it so I tried using something else but unfortunately that didn't seem to agree with me so I am back to using this.
It works well under makeup and now that the weather is colder, this seems to be holding up well in the hydration stakes and I still have a lot left - about 3/4 in the bottle.

The Anti-Blemish Treatment Mask I use now once a week rather then twice as I have about 1/4 left and don't want to run out so quickly. My opinion of this hasn't changed from before - it's still a fab purifying mask and I would repurchase.

About 2 weeks ago I got a couple of large spots from what I think was experimenting with other primers/foundations/sunscreens (this was when I was not using the day fluid), so I went back to using my prescribed topical Duac gel for acne at night and I couldn't use the Replenishing Night Serum when using the Duac. In the few extra weeks I did use it I didn't see anything different to my last review.

What I have noticed is that before when I used my Duac gel to control my acne, it could be a little drying, especially around the mouth area so I could on occasion get slight flakiness. But when I use the ClearCalm 3 range I no longer get the dryness from the Duac gel and that is probably where this range helps me the most is with the texture and balancing of my skin as to be honest the visible differences are not huge, but when I feel my skin it does feel smoother and softer like it seems to help get rid of the flakiness and dead skin.
This doesn't make me want to throw out my exfoliator though as I love a good scrub, but I like the general feel of my skin and it makes applying makeup much nicer as I have a better canvas to work with.

Overall this range doesn't prevent me from getting spots, but I like what it does for the condition of my skin so I would add it to my favourites (the jury is out on the night serum for now:).

All products purchased by me and this is my own experience with the range. 
Everyone is different.

Ren ClearCalm 3 Anti-Blemish Skincare: 4 Weeks In

Acne. Blemishes. Spots. Zits. Break-outs. Whatever you like to call it, my skin has been plagued by this pesky condition since my teens. While it has settled down considerably now I am in my late twenties, I still get smaller spots every now and then and I have been left with scarring, redness and uneven skintone from previous break-outs.
So when I discovered that my fave skincare brand Ren were coming out with an anti-blemish range, I naturally was very excited. Ren's new ClearCalm 3 range is designed to combat the 3 key causes of breakouts and blemishes: excess sebum, build up of dead skin cells, blemish-causing bacteria and it does this without harshness.
This launched on 1st September, but Selfridges had this a couple of weeks earlier so I bought the range which consists of an Anti-blemish Clay Cleanser (£18), Anti-blemish Day Fluid (£24), Replenishing Night Serum (£20) and Anti-blemish Treatment Mask (£28).

The Box info (has a good breakdown of key ingredients and benefits):

The blurb (can be enlarged)
L-R: mask, cleanser, day fluid, night serum

Ingredients (can be enlarged)
L-R: mask, cleanser, day fluid, night serum  

My skin for reference apart from being blemish-prone is combination - I have an oily T-zone and my cheeks are slightly drier.
I have been using the ClearCalm 3 range for almost 4 weeks now so these are my initial thoughts.

I'll start with the Anti-Blemish Clay Cleanser:

Anti-Blemish Clay Cleanser, L - small pump, R- spread out a bit

I was a bit dubious about this as the name had me envisioning rubbing something akin to a clay mask over my face and sucking it dry, but this could not be further from the truth. The texture is not what I had expected from a blemish range as this is a cream (if you've tried Ren's Hydra-Calm cleanser it is a similar texture). Quite a light cream so it is easily spread and massaged into the skin and is rinsed off leaving no residue. It doesn't leave the skin feeling dry, rather more soft and comfortable. The scent is a herbally-fresh sort of scent, I wouldn't say minty or menthol as such, but slightly more herbal (sorry for the rather rubbish description). I started using this first for about a week before the other products to see how this feels and while I like it and there isn't anything wrong with it, I am not blown away. Maybe after using a lot of their other products I have very high expectations. I think it is helping to make the skin appear a bit clearer but I haven't noticed a significant difference with this. I don't use this to remove makeup, I always use a separate cleansing oil or balm as these to me are the most thorough for makeup removal. Overall I find this quite pleasant to use being a cream and I will happily use up the bottle although I not sure if I will repurchase.

The Anti-Blemish Day Fluid:

Anti-Blemish Day Fluid

This was the one product in the range I was the most cautious about - I am used to using creams rather then fluids and the texture of this feels quite different. It is a slightly runny, quite thin liquid (maybe even a bit gel like), that when applied to the skin has an odd combination of feeling rather slippy but matt/silky at the same time. A small amount of this spreads very well over the skin, but when absorbed (which is quick by the way), it is completely matt and natural looking that it is not evident that you have applied anything. I can imagine this lasting quite a long time, as I am nowhere near having used even 1/4 of the bottle. The scent is similar to the cleanser but a bit lighter. I was worried that this would not be moisturising enough for my cheeks, but I haven't experienced any tightness/or dryness from this. I admit that I do crave a slightly more creamy/plumper base for my makeup and with this feeling like virtually nothing on the skin I use a little primer on top (not on the t-zone). I have used without primer and have not had any issue but I do wonder when it comes to the colder months if this will provide enough moisture.

I am pleasantly surprised by this fluid as it does seem to make my t-zone less oily (I still touch-up my powder halfway through the day) and I think it has helped a little with slight redness. As this feels so light I can use sunscreen or primers on top without feeling that I've applied too much to my skin.
I have found gradually that the more I use this, the more I have come to like it as it does make the skin feel soft and hydrated.  


The Replenishing Night Serum:

Replenishing Night Serum

 
This is a cream (the day fluid feels more serum like to me), and is not greasy but light and easily absorbed. The scent to this is very mild that I don't really notice it, but smelling it more closely it as a more softer, milder herbal scent not dissimilar to the cleanser. This claims to calm the skin, reduce redness and pigmentation scars and while I think it has helped a little in calming the skin, I haven't noticed any difference to my scarring or evenness, although I don't really expect a great deal on the these fronts as I haven't used this long enough to see if it really does help. Personally I prefer Ren's Omega 3 Night Repair Serum over this as after using that I really saw a difference in my skin the next morning in that it looked more glowy and clearer and did a good job of healing blemishes too.
This is the one product in the range I am not sure of - while it feels pleasant to use, I don't really see much difference in my skin but I will continue to use it to see if I notice any further improvement over time.

The Anti-Blemish Treatment Mask:

Anti-Blemish Treatment Mask

This new mask is a creamy clay texture with quite a strong refreshing herbally (sort of minty?) scent. It does not dry hard and you are supposed to leave it on for about 15 mins then wash off (although I have left this on for an hour with no problems). It is best used twice a week. When washed off my face feels soft, a bit clearer and my pores seem less visible with no dryness. This has also helped to unclog the pores/bring blackheads to the surface on my t-zone so that they can be extracted more easily. This is my favourite product of the range.

Overall being an anti-blemish range, nothing about it feels harsh, all the products have felt lovely to use and comfortable, and I haven't had any adverse reactions to them. I like that the range says it's for problem skin rather then oily/combination/problem skin as a lot of other brands seem to throw those skin types together. In terms of keeping blemishes at bay, I think that it helps a little - I still get a few smaller spots, but they seem to go away and heal a bit better with this, but it is not a huge difference. Hopefully with continual use I might see more of an improvement. The product I would repurchase is the mask as I was impressed with this, even after the first use. I would possibly repurchase the day fluid as I wasn't expecting to like this, but the more I use it the more I Iike it.

I will continue to use the range, and update after a month or so. 



Disclaimer: All products purchased by myself

Eeek! Ren Skincare: A New Range - ClearCalm 3 launching 1st September

If there was only one skincare brand I was allowed to buy it would be Ren. When I started using Ren it really was a turning point for my skin and it is one of the few brands where I have probably tried the majority of their products. I do stray (it's in my beauty addict nature), but I always go back to my tried and trusted Ren. So naturally I was incredibly excited to find out through today's Metro that they will be launching a new range of products designed especially for blemish-prone skin (like mine) called ClearCalm 3.

The range consists of:

Anti-blemish clay cleanser

Anti-blemish day fluid

Replenishing night serum

Anti-blemish treatment mask

Looks like a very comprehensive range that I have high hopes for. I cannot wait to try them out!

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Ren, just a huge fan of their products.